Manuel I of Portugal

Manuel I "the Fortunate" of Portugal (31 May 1469-13 December 1521) was King of Portugal from 25 October 1495 to 13 December 1521, succeeding Joao II and preceding Joao III.

Biography
Manuel was born in Alcochete, Portugal on 31 May 1469, the son of Ferdinand, Duke of Viseu and Beatriz, Duchess of Viseu. In 1495, he succeeded his first cousin and brother-in-law Joao II of Portugal as King of Portugal, and he made several great accomplishments during his reign. In 1498, Vasco de Gama discovered a maritime route to India; Pedro Alvares Cabral discovered Brazil in 1500; Francisco de Almeida became the first Viceroy of India in 1505; Portugal established monopolies on maritime trade routes in the Indian Ocean and Persian Gulf from 1503 to 1515 under Afonso de Albuquerque; and Malacca was captured in 1511. These events led to Portugal becoming a powerful trading empire, and Manuel concluded commercial treaties and diplomatic alliances with the Ming dynasty of China and the Persian Safavid dynasty. Manuel was originally a friend of the Jews, but his marriage to Isabella of Aragon, a Spanish princess, led to him being forced to force all Jews to convert to Christianity or leave the Iberian Peninsula. Manuel died of unknown reasons in 1521 at the age of 52.